Dragon-Koopa Biology
by Coooool123
Summary: Ludwig Von Koopa explains the biology and physical attributes of Dragon-Koopas. Maybe it's boring, but I thought some of the stuff I came up with was cool. Kudos to Walkazo for her contribution to this field.
1. Part One

Greetings. I am Ludwig Von Koopa. I am here today out of obligation, against my free will, to speak about the basic factual information of my species, _Chrysemys Dragonous_, more commonly known as the Dragon-Koopas.

I shall divide this report into multiple sections to simplify reading. For the first portion of my explanation, I will speak mainly to physical attributes as opposed to abilities. Shells will be covered under their own section later on.

* * *

**Skin**

To begin, I shall focus on the skin, or rather, scales, of the _Chrysemys Dragonous_. They are so closely knit together, that they are practically skin, and any break is not evident in younger Dragon-Koopas. It is only when they reach adulthood that the scales become more apparent. For simplicity sake, I will simply refer to it as skin. Typical specimens are found to have bright yellow skin. In the case of my brother and grandfather, this is not the case. Their skins were found to have different quantities of Melanin, a typical chemical found in the revolting _Homo Sapien_ genus. Within them, they are found to contain greater quantities of this substance compared to the typical Dragon-Koopa. This is completely natural within Dragon-Koopa species, though as for the regular Koopa species, it is not nearly as common.

Most often, _Chrysemys Dragonous_ will pertain a different coloured head compared to the rest of the body. Females are not as commonly born with this colour difference, as my irritating sister proves quite well. It's rarer for the female counterpart to have a separately coloured head compared to the rest of the body, and when this is not the case, oftentimes this is due to abnormal amounts of XX vs. XY chromosomes, where the XY chromosomes are more numerous compared to normal levels. This can often cause unwanted sickness and defects within Koopas.

To explain further, my imbecilic brother Roy ended up being born with a slightly larger quantity of XX chromosomes. While this did not affect anything about him, mentally, emotionally, or personality wise, it did cause him to have a pink head and shell, as well slightly sensitive eyesight when he was a hatchling, which is why he was forced to wear shades… he doesn't actually need them now, a slight operation put this in order, but being the pigheaded idiot that he is…

But I digress. In any case, it has had no lasting consequences on his health. I suppose I should be grateful… not like he would tell us if something was the matter anyway…

Apologies. I seem to have gone on a tangent. I aspire it to not occur again.

Continuing on about head colours, the most common colour is green. Again, the amounts of Melanin influence head colour. Surprisingly, quantities of this chemical can greatly vary between the head and the body, as my brother Morton shows quite well. The most common make-up is a green head, along with a yellow body. Junior's head is more of an apple green, which is common for younger generations. His head will darken as he ages. The parent and grandparent colours also influence what the children will appear as. The ears, much like a bird, are practically invisible against the head, though I can assure you that they do exist. Otherwise I would not be able to hear my beautiful music playing, and I also wouldn't have gone deaf as a child.

Another odd quality of Dragon-Koopas are the evidence of birthmarks. The most common birthmark in my family is stars, though Lemmy does have two odd orange lines on one side of his head. I do not possess such a birthmark, as they are not common, and, to my knowledge, neither do Bowser Jr, Roy, Bowser, Wendy, or Iggy, though I may be wrong concerning the latter…

* * *

**Eyes and Eyebrows**

Dragon-Koopa eyes greatly vary between individual. There are essentially two styles of eyes within the male Dragon-Koopa: the miniscule black eyes, such as those that Morton and I possess, and the extremely large, coloured eyes. As we age, mine and Morton's eyes will grow larger, while my brothers' will remain the same size. Female eyes are miniscule and black at birth, and they slowly grow overtime, as do the eyelashes, that males lack. My sister's eyes are about ¾ of the final size.

As for colours that the eyes can be, they can vary from black, blue of various shades, green, red, brown, and, on a rarer occasion, hazel.

Crossed eyes are, unfortunately, a fairly common case within Dragon-Koopas. They limit sight, and while they can be fixed with surgery and therapy, it can be very risky.

Eyebrows are also common, but are not always evident. There is a fifty-fifty chance of having them, and they are the colour of the hair of the Koopaling.

* * *

**Snouts and Fangs**

Snouts, besides colours, are probably what vary the most between Dragon-Koopas. They can be a more catlike snout, or turtle-shaped. Jaw lengths vary greatly, and, like fingerprints, few are ever exactly the same, even within twins. The snout portion of a Dragon-Koopa takes up over half of the head, and is a paler shade compared to the rest of the body. While hues can vary, they are most commonly a beige-ish colour. Mouths themselves typically take up half of the snout's space, though in Morton's case, that isn't even close…

Noses comprise mainly of the top of the snout, and solely of two teardrop-shaped nostrils are visible. Dragon-Koopas have very powerful sense of smell, though this will be covered later.

Female mouths typically have no fangs, though there are many exceptions to this. They also do not actually have as big lips as they are portrayed as having, as many seem to think. That is only the disgusting cosmetic that is referred to as 'lip stick' which greatly enhances the size. Completely a waste of hard-earned coins, if you ask me.

Continuing on, fangs are very important to Dragon-Koopas. The number of exposed fangs can vary, some not even having any, and some having as many as six exposed fangs. Strength-wise, they are comparable to the human alligator. Basically, the strength of the jaw is around 1750 pounds of force in an adult Dragon-Koopa, though some have hit 2000 pounds of force. The fangs are kept very sharp, and can even pierce certain metals. Unfortunately, because of the need for extremely close range to do such a thing, it is fairly useless in combat with pesky plumbers. And somehow, the bite is not very effective against them anyway. It makes one wonder if they are really human…

* * *

**Body**

The body of the _Chrysemys Dragonous_ is fairly straightforward: Two arms, two feet, four fingers on each hand, three toes on each foot, and a shell. Compared to our heads, our bodies are slightly disproportionate, being smaller than they should. This is corrected during the physical maturity process, which is discussed under the _Age_ section. As I've said before, the body is covered in scales, which are tightly knit in children and adolescents, before they become more evident in adulthood. The female body is more slender than the male, but both are very powerful at adulthood. Physical prowess will be discussed under the _Internal_ section. Other than that, there's nothing really left to make mention of.

* * *

**Padded Stomach and Feet**

The pads on the stomach and feet are a light shade of beige, and, like the snouts, hues can vary between individuals.

The padded areas can be considered like plastrons in a regular turtle, but they are actually softer and more delicate compared to the yellow scales. On the stomach, the number of padded areas is typically three at hatching, and the number can increase up to ten in adults. Usually, it stops around seven. Spinning inside of one's shell toughens up the padded stomach, and protects the individual from debris as well.

The foot pads, too, are more delicate, but walking on stone hardens them to scale status, though they also serve as a protection from rocks when walking. Lemmy's foot pads, due to his walking on a rubber ball, are therefore not very hardened, and are much more sensitive to touch, ground, and rocks than what is considered standard.

* * *

**Tails**

Like all dragons, Dragon-Koopas possess tails which, when adulthood is reached, grow spikes on top. Considering the battle style of this species, tails are not very useful, though they do help retain balance. Unfortunately, they can also serve as a convenient swinging device. They do often emit emotion, such as happiness, but other than that, they have little purpose.

* * *

**Horns and Claws**

Horns are mainly for decoration, though they do serve battle purpose when charging. Oftentimes, horns can depict someone's age, but only if they are there at birth. However, most of the time, they don't start growing until the growth age is hit, which I'll get into more detail about later on under the _Age_ section.

Claws, which I'll also be getting into later, are imperative for battle. They're always white. Found on fingertips and toes, they assist in climbing, and allow for many a good attack.

* * *

**Hair**

This is probably the most diverse and… shall we say, random, for lack of a better word… attribute of any Dragon-Koopa.

Hair can be literally anything and everything, from beautiful dark blue locks to insane rainbow Mohawks to bald like rocks and everything in between. Admittedly, Ignatius' was due to a freak experiment, but why he left it like that is something I cannot even fathom, let alone explain.

Why my sister has no hair; that is left to theory. It's possible that the female counterpart is naturally bald, which would explain why the greater quantity of XX chromosomes in Roy left him hairless, and that greater quantities of XY chromosomes in females create hair. However, it's also possible that it pertains to age. I cannot say for certain, though I will do more research on this subject.

Hair colour is usually synonymous with shell colour. Keyword: usually. There are many exceptions to this apparent 'rule', and any attempt to create a rule for hair is completely preposterous and I dismiss it promptly. Though admittedly it is more common for Dragon-Koopa hair to match the shell… perhaps Iggy's look is natural after all…?

Gah. Enough ponderings about my siblings. It is distracting me from my work.

_Chrysemys Dragonous_ hair is much more… shall we say… gravity defying. It's easier to deal with than disgusting human hair, and grows much more readily. Hair-cutting is a must each month, lest you desire yourself to become something of a shaggy beast.

Now, facial hair is extremely uncommon within this genus, notwithstanding eyelashes and eyebrows. I have yet to see someone of my species with a beard or moustache. While I do not discredit the idea, as it _is_ possible for regular Koopas so I do not see why it should be impossible for us, I am hesitant to call it fact without viable proof. Should evidence arise, I shall post a side comment as quickly as possible.

* * *

This is all for now. Next, I will be discussing the most important part of any Dragon-Koopa. I say my farewells, and I also wonder how for the life of me I got myself into this, and why I'm still doing it.

* * *

**I wanted to do something a little different. All facts are based on canon or widely accepted headcanon. Anything that is uncertain are things that haven't been shown in the games, and most of this is simply to determine a base for Dragon-Koopas. Kudos to Walkazo for her influence within this entire fanon. I didn't give Ludwig an accent this time around because he's writing as opposed to speaking. A lot of the XX/XY chromosome stuff I admittedly made up. I wanted to be as scientifically accurate as possible, hence I did research on turtle types to see which genus the Koopalings would most likely be based on their body type and appearance. I based their scientific name on the 'Painted Turtle', because of somewhat similar appearance and the fact that Koopaling shells are multiple colours. Unfortunately, because of the differences between Junior and the Koopalings, I can't put many things down as fact, such as horns. So, I suppose there is basis for multiple outcomes within a Dragon-Koopa when they hatch. The Age factor is also important for an upcoming story. I also hold to the fact that Mario and Luigi aren't fully human. Supporting this is that they were actually born in the Mushroom Kingdom... and while they are placed under the genus 'homo sapien'... it may not be entirely true...**


	2. Part Two

Greetings once more. Again against my will, I am here to continue discussing the most important part of all Dragon-Koopas, as mentioned before. I've decided to save this for its own section because of how imperative it is to everything concerning a Dragon-Koopa.

Now, before I begin, I do have a note to make, regarding the X and Y chromosomes I mentioned previously. In doing more research, I see that I was incorrect as regards to these influencing whether Koopa appearance and attitude are more feminine or masculine. It is the other chromosomes that influence this, but these themselves are influenced by gender in multiple ways. I aspire not to make such a foolish mistake again.

* * *

**Shell**

The shells are the largest different between Dragon and regular Koopas. The main difference being, _Dragon-Koopas cannot detach from their shells_. Regardless of any claims to prove this as false, it is an indisputable fact. The shells are there at birth, and are permanently fused to the individual. Any attempts at removal would most certainly be disastrous. It's presumed that the shell is attached to the spine of the Dragon-Koopa, which allows for more flexibility in movement and makes it seem that no shell is even there.

Dragon-Koopa shells vary greatly in colour, and are covered in off-white spikes, which grow with the shell. These spikes are surrounded by ringlets of a single colour, which, again, vary for each individual, and are, on occasion, not there at birth, but as the spikes grow, the ringlets form around the base.

Around the base of the shell, and attaching to the back, there is an encasing, which is almost always white, and on occasion, other colours, such as gold. They can be dyed, but the base colour doesn't usually change. Morton is a large exception, going from gold to white.

It is more possible for the shell colours to change over time if they are pink or green at birth. Roy's used to be pink, and the rest of us, minus Wendy and Morton, used to have green shells. I admittedly forget how it happened, whether it was gradual or immediate, and I wish I could provide a more detailed response. I believe it was the former.

The shell is a Dragon-Koopa's main line of defense, and, on occasion, offense as well. Not only that, but it contains a very special attribute, known as _Hammerspace_.

Hammerspace allows us to store an indefinite amount of items for an indefinite period of time, and to call them out at will. However, an individual's Hammerspace is a very personal thing. Much like a precious heirloom or an organ (physical, bodily organ, not the instrument), it is not something to be tampered with by other individuals. It can be summed up as a very personal, bottomless backpack, if we were to get down to the bare essentials. Invading a person's Hammerspace is essentially the largest invasion of privacy known to Koopa-kind. Those who know not of Hammerspace just cannot fathom what I am speaking of… I suppose it was as if you were germaphobic, and someone was to drink from the same glass as you, or use the same fork that you were using, to make it simpler on your smaller minds. Not small, per se, but smaller than mine, for certain.

Now, during the period of growth, the shells can do one of two things: they can grow with the individual, or they can stay the same size. It is all up to chance, really. I will discuss this more under the _Age_ section, to clarify what I mean.

There is also the ability to fully retract into the shell, courtesy of the Hammerspace, and this has led to misconceptions that shells are removable, which, again, they are not. We would not survive long without a shell, and, considering that they should be fused to our spines, it would most likely mean imminent destruction.

Shells are incredibly durable, and are nearly indestructible, surviving the most imposing of circumstances. Any cracked shell would most likely be fatal if not taken care of quickly.

**Age**

Obviously, you have all been waiting for this section, as I have referenced it earlier multiple times.

I've already mentioned the fundamental appearances concerning the shell from hatching to adolescence, and the body itself does not grow much during the first years of life.

The period of physical growth begins at the age of 18, and can continue until the age of 25. Internal Dragon-Koopa development is much more prolonged than human development during the first 17 years after birth, and therefore full internal development is reached before the size begins to increase.

During growth, Dragon-Koopas have two different possible forms. First, the Koopa form, that of my father, which entails that the legs and arms remain short and stubby, while the body takes up the majority of the space. The shell encompasses the entire back, and grows very much. Almost half of the body is therefore the shell. This form is typically more powerful and sturdy. Also, it is possible to curl up into a spiked ball in this form, which is nearly impossible in the second form.

The second form is the humanoid form. In this form, the legs and arms are elongated, and the shell remains the same size as childhood. The Dragon-Koopa appears as if it is a human wearing a Koopa shell, or a backpack. While this form is more uncommon, it does have its uses, such as greater speed and agility compared to the Dragon-Koopa form; plus, they can jump much higher. However, the ability to shell retreat is greatly restricted, being fairly difficult to perform due to the shell's smaller size and distance from the limbs, therefore depending on the attack style of the Dragon-Koopa, this may not be the best for them. Not that this can be controlled, mind you; it's just a statement.

The main differences between these two are height and limb size. The humanoid Dragon-Koopas are typically taller due to the longer, more slender legs, but have less muscle unless developed.

Heads usually only grow slightly during the growth period, and will no longer be disproportionate with the bodies at full size.

During the aging process, many abilities that were weaker are empowered, due to the size-development of internal organs.

The pads on the stomach increase in number; as mentioned before, around seven is the most common number of stomach pads. They increase in size before they divide.

* * *

Once again, thank you for reading and making my suffering somewhat worthwhile. I hope this clarifies any misconceptions about the Dragon-Koopa. Next time, I shall pass the parole over to my younger brother, Ignatius Koopa, who will speak about the abilities and internal details of _Chrysemys Dragonous_.


End file.
